A Sparkling Beach Surveyed

Prestonpans Beach gets your help!

As part of the Marine Conservation Society’s (MCS) Adopt-a-Beach scheme, Prestonpans beach has been adopted! Volunteers were called upon to help with a litter clean-up and more intriguingly a survey of what was found. It took place on Saturday and Sunday, the 17th and 18th September 2005 under the leaderrship of Jan Barker, with The Prestoungrange Gothenburg Car Park as the rendez vous. FREE “Gothenburgers” courtesy of The Prestoungrange Gothenburg were provided for all who participated.

Click on images to enlarge

In spite of the bank holiday weather (i.e. pouring with rain) 17 volunteers showed up, and they meticulously recorded the types and quantities of litter found on the beach. The Council then removed it all, ensuring that the surveyed stretch of beach was litterless clean.

The tally was 155 litter items found. The five most common litter items recorded on the two days were broken glass, drinks bottles, polystyrene pieces, drinks cans and metal pieces. Unusual items included three bikes and a teddy bear!

The information gathered during the surveys will be used to raise awareness of the problems and dangers of coastal marine litter to both humans and wildlife. It will also enable the main sources of local litter inputs to be identified and the polluters responsible to be targeted.

The surveys will now take place four times a year. They are an ideal opportunity to have some fun and learn about the coastline, whilst making a real difference to the local marine environment.

Seal Ahoy ... also supporting Marine Conservation

All involved agreed the highlight of the day was seeing a large adult seal appear not far from the shore where he loitered for a good 15 minutes. He bobbed up again just as the group were gathering for a photograph.Obviously conducting a survey of who was and was not picking up the litter .......